Grace Student Allison Elliott Embarks On An Amazing Missions Trip

Allison Elliott has been attending Grace Church for the past 4 years. She has an amazing heart for missions and is preparing to accept a huge challenge from God to serve Him in a unique way. Allsion explains... "This is not just your ordinary mission trip. I am about to embark on an 11 month trek across the world to 11 different countries. This is called The World Race and the countries I will be visiting are Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. I am excited and ready to see what God wants to do throughout the world. This is my opportunity to step out of the status quo into a world of the unknown. The world Jesus calls us into as believers, to love and serve the "least of these". Past and current racers have had the opportunity to serve widows, orphans, and the poor, minister the love of jesus Christ, and plant churches. I expect to come face to face with victims of human trafficking and the AIDS crisis in the areas that I will be going. I expect to be stretched beyond my own strength and learn what it means to give up everything to follow Jesus. Please support me and all the other missionaries out there in prayer. Thy Kingdom come! I also have my own blog for the world race. You can follow me http://www.theworldrace.allieelliott.org/. We encourage you to support Allison in prayer and she needs financial support to make this trip a reality as well. You can contact Allison @ ae082348@scots.edinboro.edu

Joe Harvey prayers answered

"The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the should [that] seeketh Him. It is good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." Lamentations 3:25, 26.

Joe and his family asked for prayers to have a container released on March 18 and transported safely to it's destination. God answered these prayers in different way. The container was not released. Had it been, it would have been on the plane that crashed into three houses in Point Noire. Unfortunately, 19 people died and 14 people were injured. Joe relates that our hour can come at any time. When he finally did get the papers for the container, it was actually dated March 18 to be released! Praise God for his Almighty sovereignty.

A Huge Thank You to Our Haiti Team

The team just returned and accomplished some pretty amazing things during the short time they were on the island. The x-ray machine was assembled and functioning. A circuit board needs to be replaced for 100% benefit.

They were able to go to some of the remote villages and talk with people about Jesus Christ and to hopefully place more children into schools. We love you guys and thank you for your passion to serve. Same goes to all the Grace people living full time in Haiti. THANK YOU for taking such good care of the team. The Haiti Team will be reporting on their trip on Sunday @ Grace McKean.

Pat Silvis Proclaims God's Love in Mexico

Just in from Pat Silvis, a member of Grace Church, serving in Mexico City.

SEMBRANDO
Pat and his team work to educate Autistic kids and their familiies. They recenlty had a great therapy session for autistic kids. The kids and parents learned together and had a lot of fun.

"AMOR IS LOVE" CD PROJECT
After a few set-backs, they were able to hold several concerts to promote their latest CD, "Amor is Love." It's a mix of Spanish and English songs, poems, and missionary testimonies. The proceeds benefit Mexican missionaries.

HONDURAS
The church team put on a Valentine's dinner for married couples to fundraise and the results were amazing. Over 30 couples attending the dinner and the fundraising was successful as well. Several of the couples were not Christians, and after a pastor spoke, one couple and their son accepted Christ. Pat's Honduras team of 9 also participated in evangelism training and drama practices. They could use your prayers as they conduct a skit to raise money.

GROWTH AND LEARNING
Pat is also learning about the importance of prayer and fasting and he's been learning quite a bit about theology and leadership. Pat's also had several meaningful conversations with Mexicans about poverty, justice, and the Gospel. Through an experience of seeing a woman dig through a trash bin, he was able to talk to his host brother, 9-year-old Aaron, about poverty. He also acknowledges that God is true love and that he can't love God's people without Him; at the same time, he feels that if he doesn't love people, it shows that he doesn't love God.

PRAYER REQUESTS
While Pat boasts of God's goodness, it's also been a tough month. A member of their Spearhead team left unexpectedly for the States, his host dad is currently unemployed, and many Honduras leaders are facing difficult personal/financial situations, and arranging flights for an upcoming trip has been a challenge. Pat asks for prayer in an upcoming trip to Boston on May 5 -12, where he will lead a team of young adults.

Pat is very thankful for the donations, cards, emails and prayers. He feels your support!

To donate to LAM towards Pat's fund, go to: www.lam.org/donate.

Strategic Team Sent To Haiti

Once again, Grace Church has sent a team of amazing people to serve in Haiti, the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. For team leaders Don and Deb Sweatman, this trip marks over a decade worth of ministry investment and leadership development as they have exposed so many Grace people to serving with those suffering in extreme poverty.

The 2011 team is comprised of the Sweatmans, Dr. Brooke Morrison, David Vroman, Pam Miller, Greg and Brenda Glazier, Rev. Bob Schell and Dr.Meg Chilcott. This team and the purpose of this trip has been in development for over a year.

Shortly after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, a former Haiti team alumni got word that the hospital where he worked was upgrading one of their primary x-ray machines. He was able to encourage the hospital to donate the replaced machine to a clinic in Cap Haitian, Haiti. A second local hospital donated much of the needed funds to transport this extremely heavy and delicate machine to the island.

Now, this particular Haiti team is at work installing the machine. Team member Pam Miller, an x-ray tech, will be able to calibrate the machine and do some training with the local nurses and doctors. This is a lifesaving piece of equipment. Image trying to set broken bones or perform surgery without the ability to look inside the body first.

Please pray that this team is able to accomplish all that is necessary to get the machine up and running.

Chronicles of Narnia Opens Door to Talk about Faith

Mike and Sus Schmitt, who are missionaries through Campus Crusade, are Narnia fans and admit it. Mike and Sus Now they found other fans who are using the pre-press release buzz created by the Dawn Treader movie to host lectures and open the door to talking about Christianity.

At Utah State. Members of Campus Crusade for Christ and Faculty Commons, a ministry to professors, hosted a lecture attracting 220 faculty and students. Dr. Christopher Mitchell of Wheaton College described C.S. Lewis's spiritual journey from an atheist to a Christian. The event receive a such a positive response that atheists and non-Christians students are now talking to Campus Crusade for Christ's staff about the gospel. And forty-five Christian students took copies of C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity asking God for Courage and for opportunities to give the books to their professors.

Like many U.S. campuses today, the British university environment when Lewis was a professor at Oxford, was already skeptical and even scornful about Christianity. In light of this, Lewis influenced his students for Christ, but knew that he could reach more through his writing. The Chronicles of Narnia have never been out of print and are popular worldwide, selling over a million copies per year. And the Narnia movies have exposed millions more to Lewis' work.

The life of C.S. Lewis is just one example of the impact professors can have on society. Mike and Sus are grateful for those who support goldly professors who help to influence young people through their own faith.

Mike and Sus Schmitt can be reached at sus.schmitt@ccci.org or check out eQuipping4eMinistry@wordpress.com.

Autism in Mexico City

Just in from Patrick Silvis, our faithful brother serving in Mexico City.

Since the new year, Patrick has been working to serve the disabled and hurting.

Regalando Amor "Gifting Love"
Patrick travelled to Toluca to serve kids with cancer by providing them toys. "It was great to see all of the volunteers care so much for the families," said Patrick.

Sembrando
This month they've held three events for children with autism and their parents and teachers. A professor is teaching the parents and other teachers of those with autism. Each child who attended the seminar received a lot of love and a free toy.

"Amor is Love" CD Project
This month God granted Patrick an exciting opportunity to record passages of scripture on CD. The songs are in English and Spanish with a them of love and friendship -- just in time for Valentine's day. The proceeds will benefit Mexican Missionaries.

Honduras
Two teams are in training to go to Honduras on April 15th through the 26th. They are preparing to face a different culture, food and religion in Honduras. Patrick's church has been fundraising in order to send four people from his church. Donations welcome!

Training
While serving Patrick has entered the first level of basic doctrinal classes and he's joined the worship team.

Patrick still lives with his host family and is saying goodbye to his roomate, Jonathon, who will be moving to a position south of Mexico City. Patrick is very grateful for all of your prayers and support.

To support Patrick through the Latin America Mission (LAM), visit www.lam.org.

The Words of Missionary David Livingstone

"I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of that kingdom, it shall be given away or kept only as by giving or keeping of it I shall most promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity. May grace and strength sufficient to enable me to adhere faithfully to this resolution be imparted to me, so that in truth, not in name only, all my interests and those of my children may be identified with His cause ... I will try and remember always to approach God in secret with as much reverence in speech, posture, and behavior as in public. Help me, Thou who knowest my frame and pitiest as a father his children."

These words framed Mr. Livingstones calling to missions. Pray for those serving Christ here and in foreign lands.

24/7 Prayer for Thailand ministry

For the last four years, Steve Cable has held their annual 24/7 prayer chain for Peace Fellowship Church, Santisuk English school, and the related ministries. This year it will be taking place from 5pm (EST) Saturday morning January 22 to Saturday at 5pm on January 29. They currently need prayers from noon to 5pm (EST) since that is the middle of the night for Thailand, but would be appreciative of any time that you would be able to pray.

How can I help? If you would like to join Steve and their team in praying for Thailand, let Steve know if you would like to pray for 30 minutes on the hour and the time zone that you are in for each of the 7 days.

What should I pray for? Steven and his team will send you an excellent prayer guide with different requests for each day via email. You will learn about their ministry as you pray through the guide, which was developed by the Thai staff and Steve's team.

How do I sign-up? Simply send an email to scable@truemail.co.th with your name and time that you'd like to pray.

Steve Cable and his wife serve in Thailand, with their three children, teaching English through the Baptist General Conference/Converge Worldwide.

Here are some specific, practical areas of missionaries' lives to pray for.

1. Solid family relationships. The tasks of full-time ministry, often in a foreign culture, can cause a strain on the relationships within a family -- husbands and wives, parents and children. Pray that the Lord would strengthen these family bonds and draw them close together.

2. The well-being of family members from whom they are separated. When missionaries leave their homes to serve God on the mission field, extended family remains behind, and children sometimes leave their parents for schooling. Pray for the health, safety, and encouragement of these family members.

3. Strength in the "inner man" (Ephesians 3:16). Loneliness, discouragement, despair -- these struggles occur in the lives of missionaries, and sometimes frequently. Pray that their hearts are encouraged and strengthened.

4. Provision of physical needs. Missionaries depend on others for their financial support, and at times, that can be burdensome. Pray that God would supply their every need (Philippians 4:19).

5. A strong personal walk with God. Pray for daily faithfulness to spend time in God's Word in the midst of ministry busyness. Ask God to protect and strengthen them spiritually and cause them to grow in their relationships with Him.

6. Good physical health. In foreign lands, good health care can be hard to find. Pray for physical strength on a daily basis and long-term good health.

7. Strong relationships with co-workers. Sadly, personality conflicts and relationship struggles happen among missionaries as they seek to work together to bring people to Christ. Pray for unselfishness, kindness, and humility in these cooperative efforts (Philippians 2:3-5).

8. Ability to speak accurately. Ask God to cause them to speak with clarity and precision as they declare God's Word (Colossians 4:3-4).

9. Opportunities to relax. Servants of God are just like anyone else--they need a break sometimes! Ask God to provide them with recreation and rest.

10. Wisdom in all they do. Pray for the wisdom to make good decisions in their personal lives, as well as their ministry lives (James 1:5.)

In short, the model prayer that the LORD Jesus taught the disciples in (Matthew 6:9-13 is a good guideline for our prayers for missionaries. However, the key is not so much what we pray but that we pray and how we pray. In other words, prayers for missionaries should be a part of our personal worship time. Our prayers should be fervent, and come from a righteous heart that is in full relationship with God (James 5:16).

Effectual prayer is prayer in an attitude of fellowship and agreement with God's will. When we pray "Thy will be done" in specific areas of need, God not only changes us but He uses our prayers for it is the power behind His armor. "Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere" (Ephesians 6:18).

One Year Ago Today

4.53pm on Jan 12, 2010, 'the most terrible moment in the history of Haiti.' These are the words that will be broadcast over radio station 4VEH a little later this afternoon as Haiti looks back over the vicious earthquake of 2010. Not much has changed for those who suffered through the disaster. Thousands still live in tents, clean water is even harder to come by and medical relief has dwindled. Please continue to pray for our friends on the island. Remember our people from Grace who work so hard day in and day out to make a difference in this troubled poor land.

Jwaye Nwèl! Joyeux Noèl! Happy Christmas!

Despite the tremendous challenges of 2010, Haitians can still sing God's praises. Radio 4VEH continues to reach Haitians with the life-saving message of Jesus Christ through simple transistor radios. Here are a few highlights from the Radio 4VEH ministry:

• Broadcasted messages after the earthquake like, "I'm alive" and "I'm still looking for..."


• Reaching those wounded in the earthquake as they recovered -- one woman who was paralyzed with no friends or family around her listened to Radio 4VEH everyday and it became her lifeline.


• Teaching listeners about the dangers of cholera, how to prevent it, and how to get treatment through life-saving messages.


• Proclaiming around the clock to Haitian cities, towns and villages, the best news of all, that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus. News of great joy continues through Radio 4VEH.

If you would like to donate to Radio 4VEH to further advance the gospel through the air waves, visit the One Mission Society web site: http://www.onemissionsociety.org/. Use the express donations option if you would like to donate before year-end. Your gift will help broadcast farming advice, health advice, school programs, and the message of Jesus to almost one million people in Haiti.

Haiti Has Been So Good To Us!

Year after year, people from Grace Church make the journey to the island of Haiti. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. We go to help were we can, to love the people and learn from them. There is a unique wisdom that comes from living in dramatic poverty. People have to be creative, resourceful and not lose hope. The Haitian people have taught us so much and we appreciate them dearly. Here's an old video of one of our teams serving on the island. Thank you Haiti, we'll see you again in March.

Pat Silvis--News From Mexico City

My Faithful Family and Friends,

How much is one human life worth? What would you sacrifice in order to see a loved one become closer with Christ? What does it look like when Jesus saves a life?
November flew by for me, and these are some of the questions that have really impacted me this past month. Issues regarding life, death, and history have been big themes in most of my ministry areas, and God has really stretched my idea of who He is and what He wants to do in Mexico.

We’ve been studying Filipenses (Philippians) in Spanish. Paul talks about being able to do everything through Christ (ch. 4), in good times and bad, and I’ve learned more of what that means for me here, through illness and stress as well as great friends and amazing experiences (like seeing the National Balet Folklorico. Our team also took a much-needed prayer retreat to Tepotzlan in early November. It was a wonderful time of prayer, scripture meditation, and fellowship. One of the big takeaways for me was the importance of knowing God and spending time with Him—He promises to meet us when we seek Him!

My deepest appreciation for your prayers and support.

Campus Crusade For Christ Plays a Role in the Chilean Miners Rescue Story.

If you’ve seen photos of the Chilean miners’ rescue a few months ago, most of the miners were wearing a t-shirt with “Gracias Señor” i.e., “Thank You Lord” on the front. The shirts, along with MP3 players (with the Jesus Film and the Bible in audio), were gifts from Campus Crusade for Christ Chile. Psalm 95:4 in Spanish was on the back of the shirts.

Christian Maureira, national director of Campus Crusade for Christ Chile, explains, “The idea was to glorify our Lord and also to express our love and concern for them. The men listened to the dramatized story-telling of the JESUS film several times, despite dust, rocks and water falling due to the rescue effort. They received many gifts but they decided to wear our t-shirts and we praise God for this. I was really excited because a lot of people around the world were [watching the rescue]. They gave the glory to God!”

Maureira also told about José Samuel, the spiritual leader of the miners, and how God answered their prayers: “During the first seventeen days when the men had no contact with the surface, some of the thirty-three men began to wonder, why didn’t God kill us right away? Others wrote letters to be read in the event of their death. Hope was slowly vanishing. On the sixteenth day of being trapped, despite the men’s attempts to ration, the food box was empty. [Remembering] Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish, José led the men in a prayer, asking for the box to be full of food by the next day. The next day the probe made contact with them and rescuers were able to send the miners food. It was a miracle, a glorious moment.”

Campus Crusade for Christ staff use both traditional and innovative strategies to reach people today. We are excited to be a part of a ministry that is open to new opportunities to share the Good News. This past year, for instance, Sus has been encouraging our staff women to embrace technology as a ministry tool. Unfortunately, a significant portion of her time was taken with medical appointments; thank you, especially, for asking God to heal her eye. Please also pray that no new medical needs turn up this next year so Sus has more time freed up for ministry and pray that the Lord supplies the funding we need for more than $5000 in extra medical expenses.
Through your faithful partnership with us, we are able to help key staff members, like Christian Maureira, who gives glory to God for the opportunity He provided to minister to these men and to show the world how He answers prayer.

Serving Christ with you,

Mike & Sus Schmitt CCFC

Thanksgiving in Haiti. The Denningtons

It is Thanksgiving evening and I am sitting here beside Bud as he reads me the unbelievable statistics on this Cholera epidemic. They are saying we will be in it for years. 60,000 have been sickened. 25,000 hospitalized and over 1400 dead. We have had so much going on here. Violence has been occurring in the streets between the UN and the people. They are angry because it is believed here that the UN is responsible for this epidemic. Also we have elections going on and that can set off the people as well. They have so much to be angry about. They are tired, discouraged, hungry and now sick or know someone that is sick. Fear is a terrible thing and it can make any of us do things we do not want to do. As we slipped away to enjoy dinner together it is sobering to think that just a few yards away one of our houses is filled with children hooked to IV fighting Cholera. We have 13 pt right now and expect more tomorrow. Julie, Hannah and Dr Rodney have done an amazing job setting this up. Bud and I helped to facilitate and set up the clinic. We are using whatever we can find to take care of as many as we can.

Tomorrow we will look for more beds and set up more rooms. The cases increase more and more each day. You have to wonder how much more can this country take. We ended our day singing to the children and praying with them along with their parents. Talk about a helpless feeling. In times like this it is easy to feel inadequate. Praise God His is. We need all of your prayers once again. It is amazing in the mist of all of this just mention the name of Jesus to those who believe and see their faces change. This is another opportunity to help others to find Him.

From their daily blog: http://bjdennington.blogspot.com

Penn Gillette Gets A Bible

I saw this video awile ago and it challenged me. Pen Gillette is one half of the comedy team Penn & Teller. Mr. Gillette is usually extremely hard on Christians and skillfully debates them on matters of faith. This video was from his after show blog. This particular evening, he met a fan after the performance that truly made an impact on him.

His statement about half way through the vid blog is what stopped me cold. "How much would you have to hate someone to withhold information that could alter their eternity?" For fear of turning people off...we tend to say nothing about Christ, the Cross and the burden that man has to respond to Jesus' life and death. This vid is worth watching.
-pmike

An Opportunity to Serve in Thailand

Here's a note from Steve Cable serving in Thailand.

If God would put it on your heart to come to Santisuk for a month or more please write. We have just completed our 2011 calendar. In both March and April classes will be Monday - Friday and only 3 weeks long (instead of 4) meaning you don’t have to be away from home so long. Also, April 30 – May 2 we'll have our 5th annual Sports Camp. Short-term ministry in Thailand continues to be a great ministry opportunity - you focus on people not things, and you really make a difference in people's lives. We guarantee you a month at Santisuk will change your life! You can view our video about short-term ministry at SES at the new Converge (BGC) website http://www.convergeworldwide.org/give/108739 or http://vimeo.com/10269102. You can check out our website at www.santisuk.org/serve or http://www.santisuk.org/.

Some Things To Consider About Missions Work.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of confusing and sometimes contradictory talk going on about God's call to missions. Beware of the extremes! Some require you to have had your own mystical "call" or voice from God. I don’t deny this happens, but don’t let others over-spiritualize the process, then force it on you as normative. Other Christians approach it from an overly rational, dry, mathematical model that gathers the facts, prays, and then makes a logical decision. What are some of the ways that God leads people into missions?

Path 1: A few people really will have some kind of personalized call, vision, powerful encounter, or voice from the Lord.

Path 2: Other friends tell me theirs is not a matter of a "personalized call" to missions. It’s more a matter of obedience to God. In some cases the wife saw that her primary call of God was to marry this man, knowing that he was (and therefore, they were) going into missions.

Path 3: Still others find that they end up in missions after a serious evaluation of prime factors: deep commitment and obedience to Christ, plus a personal assessment of interests, gifts, experience, and dreams, combined with a heart of compassion for the lost and the poor, and an opportunity to serve and to make a difference in the world. These all converge to form a path into missions.

Path 4: Some report that the prime factors leading them into missions were rather simple: a radical obedience to Christ that meant a willingness to do anything, go anywhere, pay any price, plus an identification of their gifts and other’s needs.

William Taylor

Prayers for the Joe Harvey Family

Please offer prayers for the Harvey family. Here's a note we received from them this morning. We just found out this evening (Wednesday) that Becky's mom, Sylvia Waneta Jones, died peacefully around 6:30 AM Wednesday morning, November 10, 2010.

Prayers are needed that Becky can make the necessary arrangements to get back to the states and for comfort for the family.